Etude House Lock ‘n Summer Cushion Blusher Review & Swatches

Cushion blush (and foundation) are on the rise in Asia and the new Etude House Lock ‘n Summer Cushion Blusher is my first experience with cushion blush!

The Etude House Lock ‘n Summer 2014 Collection includes two new Cushion Blusher shade that I recently purchased. I’ve had plenty of good times with cushion foundation and bb cream but cushion blush is really a new experience for me. I noticed that a few brands in Korea are starting to introduce cushion blush so by Fall I’m sure you’ll see a lot more of it from a variety of Asian brands! I suspect the new Etude House Lock ‘n Summer Cushion Blusher is here to stay as they’ll likely repackage and re-release it at some point to the permanent Etude House Collection. So if you don’t haul it now, no worries it’ll likely be available for a while.

But unfortunately my review is about to change your mind about wanting to haul it!

Etude House Lock ‘n Summer Cushion Blusher actually surprised me. I was worried at first how I’d use it all up if it was the size of a typical cushion foundation. But it’s actually considerably smaller and weights in at 0.18 oz in size and comes housed in a screw top plastic jar that’s a little bigger than a MAC eyeshadow. To keep the blush fresh there’s a small lift off lid located under the main lid. It’s rather loosely in place but at least you have that extra layer to keep the sponge inside soft.

Aside from the smaller size just about everything else is the same when comparing Cushion Foundation to Cushion Blush. Inside you’ll find a squishy sponge that’s saturated with blush. If you press on it you’ll notice it has a squishy, wet feel. Etude House includes a sponge-like puff to apply the blush but I find I have more control when using my fingers. Of course, this doesn’t exactly make the experience hygienic! The blush has a strong fresh floral fragrance that’s much like the fragrance Etude House uses in their skincare. It is strong so if you’re sensitive to fragrance in your makeup just a warning.

I think the texture, cushion, and general idea of the blush is unique and innovative and I don’t doubt it will soon catch on in the US market. Application is lovely as it blends easily and has a cool, wet feel that absorbs easily leaving behind a soft yet not dewy, silky finish. Everything about is quite lovely however, the pigmentation is the real issue.

In the jar the two shades look bright and vibrant unfortunately they swatch and apply a very sheer and very pastel. You MIGHT get some color if you’re super, super fair or pale of tone. But many skin tones will find Etude House Cushion Blusher provides virtually no color pay off and it’s really hard to even get a natural build up of blush. I applied a sheer layer and applied several more layers on top as the product does build easily. However, no matter how much I applied the colors simply would not show up on my skin.

Oh woe is me. I really had high hopes for these but unfortunately the pigment is a real issue for me.

Etude House Lock ‘n Summer Cushion Blusher is not only innovative but it’s just darn fun. The squishy sponge really is an interesting concept for blush application. However, the pigmentation will likely disappoint many users of the product. I have hopes Etude House or at least some other brand will launch the blusher again with better color pay off! We shall see where the future of cushion blush is headed.